Fantastic Green Beans

Don't miss these three delicious recipes that start with frozen green beans. All have prep times of 10 minutes or less. Frozen vegetables have a fresher flavor, crisper texture, and brighter color than canned. On the day you plan to serve them, place the beans in the refrigerator to thaw that morning, and they'll be ready to cook for supper. You'll be surprised at how terrific they taste.

You may substitute an equal amount of fresh beans in all of these recipes, but you'll have additional prep time for trimming them. So follow our lead, and head for the freezer. -VICKI A. POELLNITZ

Green Beans With Shallots and Red Pepper

MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

PREP: 10 MIN., COOK: 10 MIN.

2 (16-oz.) packages frozen whole green beans, thawed

¼ cup butter

3 large shallots, thinly sliced*

1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 tsp. kosher salt**

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. garlic powder

1. Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain well.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add sliced shallots and bell pepper, and sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add green beans, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and toss to combine.

*½ small sweet onion, thinly sliced, may be substituted.

**½ tsp. regular salt maybe substituted.

Green Beans Amandine

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

PREP: 5 MIN., COOK: 12 MIN.

Browning the butter and almonds gives this dish an extra-nutty flavor.

1 (16-oz.) package frozen French-cut green beans, thawed

¼ to 1/3 cup butter

½ cup sliced almonds

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1. Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover in a Dutch oven 4 minutes or until tender; drain well. Rinse Dutch oven well, and dry.

2. Melt butter in Dutch oven; add almonds, and sauté over medium heat 6 minutes or until butter and almonds are golden brown. Stir in green beans, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper, tossing to coat. Serve immediately.

Dressed-Up Side

This tasty veggie combination features trademark ingredients of Provence, France.

Green Beans Provencal

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

PREP: 10 MIN., COOK: 4 MIN.

If you chill this recipe longer than four hours, the bright color of the green beans will start to fade. To make ahead, prepare the beans and vinaigrette separately; cover each, and chill. Toss together right before serving.

1 (16-oz.) package frozen cut green beans, thawed

½ pt. grape tomatoes, halved

3 Tbsp. minced red onion

2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. water

2 tsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1. Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain well.

2. Combine beans, tomatoes, and onion; toss gently. Whisk together vinegar and next 7 ingredients until well combined. Pour over bean mixture; toss to coat. Serve at room temperature, or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Mar 2007
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved